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Aine Seitz McCarthy
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Education Policy in Developing Countries: conference comments

2/6/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
Same Ndiaye school in Senegal (where I taught English)
This weekend I attended a fantastic conference put on right here at the U of M on education policy in developing countries.  Although the title might imply that a number of education academics might be presenting papers, it was almost  all economists (but are you really surprised?).  Economists who study education in developing countries, that is.

Anyway, the papers and presentations were all outstanding, despite the fact that a lot of findings were rather dismal.  The very first paper attempted to summarize conclusive evidence about what improves education outcomes (enrollment, attendance, cognitive skills).  Some of the factors that improve education outcomes were frustratingly inconclusive (student-teacher ratio) and some were almost obvious (walls and desks).  This summary paper is still in the working stages, but its fun to read with comments included.

At conferences like this, I feel both completely overwhelmed with the immense goal of improved education and development, but simultaneously fired up about the possibility of positive change.

4 Comments
Keta Seitz
2/9/2011 07:49:08 pm

Improved education can be the key to successful development of the individual and the group. Hopefully young people today will achieve these basic human rights for all people in developing countries.
On a slightly different note, I just finished a book about the sex trade in Cambodia of young girls titled The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine by Somaly Mam. I would recommend it. And of course, this is related to education.

Reply
Emily G
2/10/2011 01:16:20 am

Aine,
How do you define a developing country? What is important to you to develop these countries? And do you think that countries have to be westernized in order to become a "developed" country?

Reply
A.S. McCarthy
2/25/2011 02:29:14 am

By 'developing country', I'm informally referring to the Least Developed Countries. Broadly, countries with low national income measurements (GNI, GDP) and low human capital (poor health, lack of literacy, etc).

A good definition from the UN is here: http://www.unohrlls.org/en/ldc/related/59/

Motivation on why do do development (according to me) is here:

http://ainesmccarthy.weebly.com/1/post/2010/10/whos-to-say-whats-good.html#comments

And I certainly do not think that a country needs to be westernized to be developed.

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accounting link
4/30/2012 04:15:12 pm

Awesome post, nice information I will surely bookmark your page to share this information .

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    Aine Seitz McCarthy

    International development, economics and some pretty ambitious ideas from a stubborn graduate student clinging to her sense of adventure.


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